From the moment of conception, a mother begins to navigate through relational changes in the body and the nervous system. The mother and the baby are now working together to adapt to these changes physiologically, psychologically, and spiritually, through the 40-week sojourn from conception to birth.

As the shape of the pelvis accommodates to the development of the baby, the spine is taking on more load.

The intra-abdominal space changes relative to the diaphragm and the pelvic floor.

Pregnant mothers often experience discomfort in the lower back, groin and pelvic girdle strain, as well as reflux, heart burn and even difficulty in breathing, especially as the pregnancy draws closer to the third trimester.

Somatic therapy uses gentle touch as well as breath, movement, therapeutic conditioning for pelvic health.

Somatic practices not only alleviates discomfort, but also helps mothers to connect more deeply with their baby.

Through sensing, feeling, and honing our sensory awareness, somatic work informs and empowers mothers to create a dynamic relationship with the changing body and the development of the baby. It also reduces physical and mental stress through down regulation of the nervous system to promote healthy gestation.

The post Somatic Movement & Bodywork for Pre-Natal Care  appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

In this final workshop on head tension, we continue to expand on new movement explorations that target the vestibular system, engaging in movements that involve the 3 dimensional planes of the body (front/back, top/bottom, left/right). We will explore different positions of the body in relation to the gravity and space, and play with dynamic balance. In doing so, we delocalise head tension away from the area of our eyes and regulate our nervous system through connecting with our proprioceptive feedback.

Props required:
– 1 yoga mat
– 1 blanket
– 1 yoga block (or book)
– 1 strap (or scarf/belt)

(Note: Due to some technical mishaps, there would be a short pause in the video)

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In this second out of three workshops on head tension, we engage in a series of movement explorations that target the vestibular system. Being able to land and locate through our vestibular feedback helps to regulate our nervous system and thus bring relief to head tension. We learn to delocalise intense sensations by paying attention to the nuances through interoception and safety – tuning into fluids, body rhythm and non-linear movement to facilitate curiosity and a sense of play. We continue to also explore the jaw and eyes to release tension of the cranial sutures.  

Props required:
– 1 yoga mat
– 1 blanket
– 1 yoga block (or book)
– 1 strap (or scarf/belt)
– 1 pair of socks (or 1 soft, squishy-like ball)

The post Head Tension Workshop 2/3 appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

Introducing a new theme for somatic exploration – head tension. In this first out of three workshops, I touch on how the head does not exist in isolation but rather, shares connections through multiple systems in the body. One area we will explore is the skeletal system, i.e the head’s connection with the pelvic diaphragm through the jaw, spine, pelvis, legs and feet. From an energetic point of view, when we experience head tension, there can be an excess of energy concentrated at the cognitive level (we are literally very much “in our head”). Through a series of exercises, we ease tension by sensing into the relationship between our head and the base of our spine, all the way to the feet – bringing the energy back to earth. We also delve deeper into the relationship between the cranium and the pelvis. 

Props required:
– 1 yoga mat
– 1 firm cushion
– 1 yoga block

The post Head Tension Workshop 1/3 appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

In this class, the focus is on the pelvis to create hip mobility and in turn – lumbar stability.

Through visualising and mapping out a pelvic clock, we engage in a series of exercises and movement across planes to find stability and release in the lower back and pelvic floor. When we are able to sense and differentiate the relationship between the hip joint and the articulation of the leg, we are better able to integrate healthy movement patterns for better spinal health.

Props required:

• 1 yoga mat
• 1 pair of socks (or 1 soft, squishy-like ball)
• 1 yoga strap (or 1 scarf/towel)

The post Pelvic Exploration appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

Found this old video from the archives.

A little exploration of pelvic balance for back pain.

In the video, I also speak about the importance of something very fundamental – how we sit.
How are your sitting bones landing on the chair when you take a seat? Or are you loading on your tailbone instead?

When our body is supported by our sitting bones rather than our tailbone, we free up the spine from overloading and slumping into our lower back (and pushes our head forward) which can result in back pain. It also allows for a sense of differentiation between our pelvis and leg bones, allowing our weight to be released into gravity for greater ease and range of motion.

As we move through our day, we can also begin to notice the position of our pelvis. Do we tend to tuck our pelvis under (fatigue / withdrawal) or push our hips forward (rushed / fight or flight)? Are your knees locked or hyperextended? Adjusting all of these little nuances can too alleviate back tension and discomfort.

I hope you enjoy this little practice.
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Props Needed:

• 1 Yoga Strap
• 1 Yoga Block

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on October 1st 2021.

The post Exploring Pelvic Balance for Back Pain appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

Much of the work I do is also teaching people how to get on the floor and get back up.

I train my clients to not be fearful of the ground beneath us.

A big part of somatic coaching is to lean into the support of gravity so we don’t have to do all the work of tensing all our muscles and be in fight / flight mode constantly.

In today’s society we spend way too much time in the vertical plane, and on elevated platforms such as chairs and couches. We slouch into them and then collapse into our elevated beds at the end of the day.

Ease your way onto the floor and uncover your inner child.

Your spine will thank you for it 💃

#spinalhealth#somaticmovement#preciousmoments
#getonthefloor#somawithdaphne#yogawithdaphne
#yogatherapy#embodiedintelligence#somaticcoaching

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on September 24th 2020

The post Floorplay appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

The concept of a neutral pelvis is a topic every movement educator across different modalities would passionately debate over.

This week on #SomawithDaphneandLucy, we’d like to share our take on the neutral pelvis as an embodiment PROCESS, rather than just a shape or a form.

One of the most logical rationales to this principle is that – When the pelvis is in its neutral position, it allows for the most amount of space between each vertebra, as they are then aligned in their natural curves (i.e primary and secondary curves or kyphosis and lordosis). A neutral pelvis means that our spine can act as a “spring” in our bipedal form, to provide a buffer for the compressive forces moving through the body as we navigate through space and gravity.

A simple approach to finding a neutral pelvis is to experiment with the anterior and posterior tilting of the pelvis in relationship to the bony landmarks – the ASIS (hip points), and the diamond-shaped compass of the Sacrum, Coccyx, Ischium, Pubic Symphysis – to find the place in the centre.
These landmarks are incredibly useful in bringing awareness to a vital and yet vulnerable part of the body that we often ignore. Even though we spend so much time sitting on our bum, what we do with our pelvis and pelvic floor are often only brought to our attention when we are experiencing pain or discomfort.

From the bony landmarks, we can begin to explore the intrinsic movement of breath within the inner body, in particular the relationship between the ribcage and the pelvis.

Our respiratory diaphragm sits just beneath the ribs. As our primary breathing muscle, the diaphragm contracts and descends during inhalation, and releases to ascend during exhalation. The heart and lungs rest above the respiratory diaphragm, and our internal organs are below this diaphragm. On the other hand (end), the pelvic floor (also a diaphragm) supports the weight of our internal organs, in addition to sexual and elimination functions.

The respiratory diaphragm and the pelvic diaphragm (not just a floor!) is actually one continuous integrated “being” that modulates our life force! Their ability to move in resonance with each other is important in the healthy and intricate functioning of all our biological processes, such as oxygenation, circulation, motility of organs, digestive and reproductive processes etc.

Creating an embodied awareness on this symbiotic relationship of the intrinsic rhythm of our breath pulsating through the different diaphragms will not only create optimal alignment and ease in the way we move, sit, stand, walk, but also help regulate our nervous system, return us back to health, and cultivate a sense of grounding and safety.
​
In the next video, we would like to invite you to explore a short practice to sense the resonance between the 2 diaphragms to come into the “state” of a neutral pelvis.

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on June 19th 2020

The post Ribcage & Pelvis Resonance appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

Heart opening poses are a consistent “obsession” for yoga practitioners. Deep contortionistic backbends are pursued like trophies – a trademark of the accomplished yogi.

Backbends or spinal extensions are often mythicised as “Heart-Opening”, since it creates an expansion in the front of the body, particularly in the chest / thorax where the vital organs of the heart and lungs are situated. Spinal extension poses are thought to create lung capacity and invigorate the body-mind. Since these poses also stretch into the front of the belly, it can serve as a reprieve from those who live a sedentary lifestyle of hunching over devices, sinking into couches, with the spine constantly being in flexion.

The energetic benefits of heart openers also include stimulating our life force, instigating our capacity to love unconditionally, and helping us find courage to face challenges.

All these are well and good. The spanner in the works almost always lies in the HOW and not the WHAT. Generally, yoga backbends are done with the alignment cue to draw the shoulder blades back and down (retraction, adduction, internal rotation of the scapulas) in order to create maximum spinal extension. However, the structure of the thoracic spine (with a rib bone extending out of each vertebra forming a “cage”), is the “stiffest” part of the entire spine, and naturally shaped into a flexion or a kyphosis.

Culturally, we are told since young to pull our shoulders back, stick our chest out, and not to hunch our back! We have been so conditioned to contract our back body in order to push our sternum forward, that we might have forgotten that Mother Nature equipped us with a concave “cage” so we can house and protect our vital organs!

The study of the organs system in Body Mind Centering led us to reconsider this whole paradigm. According to its founder, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, our heart is cradled by each half of our lungs. The trio creates an ecosystem of oxygen and CO2 exchange that feeds life force into our cellular matrix, much like the dynamic macrocosm of our external environment.

The pulmonary system responsible for this exchange is actually located in the back of the anatomical heart, snuggled in the space in between to touch the front of the lungs. It is interesting to note that the lower lobes of each side of the lungs form most of the back of the ribs, where as the top lobes are under the upper trapezius.

When we overextend the thoracic spine by squeezing into the traps and leveraging onto our scapulas to push the “heart” forward, we are actually squashing the lungs and the heart, not exactly “opening” them at all! This can over stimulate our nervous system, as well as create strain in our spine and destabilise the balanced curvature of our spine.

The next time you attempt a backbend, can you reach into the spaciousness of the back body, and let the heart rest in the space embraced by the lungs, supported by the circulation of the blood exchange in the pulmonary vessels.

This post was originally posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on May 14th 2020

The post The truth about heart-opening appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

STRETCHING VS PANDICULATION
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The fascination and obsession with “stretching” is pretty much why most people came into the practice of yoga. Ever since we can remember we’ve been told to stretch for our aches and pains. What most people don’t know is that most of the time, we are doing “passive or static stretching when we just hold a stretch and pull with our hands, or submit into gravity, or sometimes we use a prop to help us get “deeper”, with the intent of releasing tight muscles.

Our volitional motor control comes from our central nervous system. Muscles respond to signals from the brain to contract and move. Moreover, the brain can also signal our muscles to involuntarily contract from physical and emotional trauma and repetitive stress. Extended tension can create an almost perpetual contraction of muscles, till they “forget” how to completely relax. The impairment of volitional control of a muscle group and its synergists is called Sensory Motor Amnesia. A sedentary or stressful lifestyle can contribute to this form of musculature contraction.

Passive stretching is done with the intent to pull a muscle into a specific length or state of relaxation. Extended passive stretching can sometimes result in injuries such as tendonitis or even trauma to the joints even though it might “feel good” in the beginning. This is central nervous system not being fully online during passive stretching, thus a feedback loop to the sensory-motor cortex cannot be established.

Pandiculation (like yawning) is an instinctual “re-set” button for our nervous system. It is also an effective way of restoring full muscle function and Range Of Motion (ROM) through concentric, eccentric and isometric contraction of different muscle groups. The sensory motor cortex becomes fully online during this process.

“If you want to untie a knot, you must look at the cord carefully then gently undo the tangle. Yanking on the cord will only make the knot tighter.”
— Thomas Hanna

If you have ever watched an animal arise from a slumber, you’d observe how they might arch their back, drop their belly and lengthen their spine and limbs into a full body “yawn”. We also do the same when we awake, we gently tighten trunk and limbs our arms and legs inward, feel a yawn coming on, and then reach arms over head, then extend our legs long. This process involves a concentric contraction of our muscles, then an eccentric lengthening, and an isometric holding in the “yawn” before coming into full relaxation as the brain integrates into this feedback loop to remind our muscle that they don’t have to stay stuck in contracted, protective state. The result is relaxation and restoration of voluntary motor control and coordination.

So next time you want to stretch, try first contracting the muscle that’s tight (less ROM) and then slowly lengthening it (more ROM). Then completely relax. Note the difference not only in sensation and control of the muscle, but also in your range of motion and sense of ease in your body. You may even feel more “connected,” less tense. Instead of classic stretching, try pandiculating instead and notice if there’s a shift in your ROM (“muscle length”) and sense of ease in the body-mind.

Video by Lucie Krobová
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#somatics#embodiment#embodiedpractice#yogatherapy#soma#somaticmovement#somaticyoga#livingbody#bodyintelligence#innerknowledge#somaticeducation#yogaeducation#yogawithdaphne#exploredancemovement#movingfromwithin20#yawning#pandiculation#catstreach#myofascialunwinding#fascia#fascialunwinding#yawningbody#listentoyourbody

This post was originally posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on April 28th 2020

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